Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1887-10-01
SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
WOrkingmen Listen to a Socialist and
Survive.

Survive.
BY request of some of our Spring
field comrades who are much elated
over the successful open-air meeting
addressed by Harry C. Vrooman,
two weeks ago, we print a report at
this late day, trusting that in future
we may be favored with early reports
of interesting events. We are pleased
to acknowledge the courtesy of the
Springfield Daily Ne,cs towards our
comrades, and gladly avail ourselves
ofits columns to gather synopsis
of Mr.. Vrooman's remarks. There
were from 1000 to 1900 people
gathered in front of the City Hall
steps as Mr.. Vrooman arose to az
dress them. He began by saying
that truth is truth whovever speaks
it,"
mo one doubts the religion of Jesus
Christ because Christ was not an Ameri
can. Harvey discovered the circulation
of the blood. Harvey was foreigner,
but the blood circulates just the same in
America as it does in Europe. The aris-
tocrats say that the Socialists are lot
of id foreigners who are trying to
stir up anarchy. We are trying to show
up the evils of the labor system in
America and how to remedy them.
"You all say this is the best country
in the world but are you free to do what
you please? Are you not under boss
And don't you have to do just what that
that boss says? Yes, you do. If you
join a Knights of Labor society and
give out your real sentiments on the la
Dor situation, and your boss hears of it,
you are pretty apt to get walking tick
ct. You think you are independent, but
if you leave one boss you have to 90 to
work for another. Your condition to-
day is worse than that of the negro in
slavery times. He had a boss to be sure,
but he never had to think of his bread
and butter. He was comfortably housed
and fed, and outside of the cruel family
separations his condition was far better
than that of the average laboring man
to-day.
"The crowded tenement houses of our
cities bespeak condition of things
which are wholly wrong According to
Carol d. Wright, 100000 men all over
the country are out of work--in enforced
idleness. These men cannot work be-
cause there is nothing for them to do.
Two men of this character took refuge
in an old mill in Wichita. They had no
money to pay for food or a covering
over their heads, SO they went into this
deserted mill and lay themselves down
to sleep. The police of the city, the
guardians of the peace and the pronlot-
ers of this glorious freedom you talk
about, found them there. The two men.
rather than be put through the meshes
of the law for sleeping in an out of the
way place, took to their heels, and the
officers after them. The police could
not run little bit, so stopping they
whipped out their revolvers and shot
the men dead. Such is the justice in
Wichita.
Sin order to overcome the evils that
surround the labor movement we must
unite. The capitalists stand together
and protect themselves and why should
not the working people? You must Or
game an independent party. Neither
old party intends to do anything for the
laboring man. They put in catch planks
and patch up their platform to catch
your votes, but they never keep their
promises. The record of both parties
for long years back is record of
treachery to the interests of the work
ingmen. You must have an independ-
ent party and stand by it. The laboring
class is the largest in the country, and if
you will only stand together you can
soon say who shall be in power and who
shall walk in your halls of legislation"